The world's population is unevenly distributed. There are countries with the highest population density, while others are sparsely populated.
Population density is an indicator that shows the number of people living per square meter. km. You can also calculate separately the population density for the city and for rural areas.
All countries, depending on the indicator of the number of inhabitants per 1 sq. km. km, are divided into 4 groups:
Accounting for population density helps to determine the required amount of material goods per capita.
The definition of population density does not take into account the seas, oceans and uninhabited areas. The population of the territory can differ not only on one continent, but also within the same country.
The following factors can influence the rate of settlement of the territory by people:
Man has always changed his habitat frequently in order to find Better conditions for life. Due to the lack of many benefits ( transport accessibility, availability of infrastructure, drinking water), many people migrate to other states where conditions are much better.
Countries with the highest population density are distinguished by the fact that they have a small area in which many people live.
The 10 most populated states are:
Monaco 18850 people/sq. km.
The Principality of Monaco is the most populous dwarf country located in the southern region of Europe. On the territory of only 2 sq. km. almost 38 thousand inhabitants live. Per last years the territory of the country has increased by almost 40 hectares. This was achieved by draining part of the sea zone.
Countries with the highest population density are characterized by a large number of people living in a relatively small area. Singapore 7600 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Singapore is located in the southeast of Asia and occupies about 720 sq. km. km. Almost 5.9 million people live on the territory of a small state. The government is gradually increasing the territory by draining the sea zone and reclamation.
Vatican 1910 people/sq. km.
The smallest state of the Vatican is located inside Rome and covers an area of \u200b\u200babout 0.45 square meters. km. Almost 1000 inhabitants live in a small area.
Malta 1430 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Malta is located on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. On an area of 315 sq. km. more than 475 thousand people live.
Maldives 1360 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Maldives belongs to South Asia. It has access to the Indian Ocean. Almost 402 thousand people live in the state on an area of 298 square meters. km.
Bahrain 1110 people/sq. km.
Bahrain is the smallest Arab country located in the southwest of Asia and belongs to the countries of the Persian Gulf. Territory of 765 sq. km. inhabited by more than 1.3 million inhabitants.
Bangladesh 1080 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Bangladesh, with an area of 144 thousand square meters. km. and a population of about 168 million inhabitants, is located in southern Asia.
Barbados 660 people/sq. km.
Barbados is located on an island in the Caribbean Sea. The island occupies about 430 sq. km. More than 277 thousand inhabitants live on the territory of the state.
China 640 people/sq. km.
The People's Republic of China has the largest population. On the territory of almost 9.6 million square meters. km. more than 1.38 billion people live.
Mauritius 630 people/sq. km.
Mauritius is located on an island in the Indian Ocean and belongs to East Africa. The country also includes several small islands, which have a total area of over 2000 square meters. km.
More than 1.2 million people live on the territory of the state.
Africa is the second largest country in terms of area. More than 1.1 billion people live in Africa. The population density indicator is 30.5 people/sq. km. This is due to the fact that most of the mainland belongs to deserts and semi-deserts, and people tend to live near water sources.
Residents also choose places with fertile soil for agriculture and developed industry.
Countries with the highest population density located in Africa:
| Country | Territory area (sq. km) | Number of inhabitants (persons) | |
| 1. Mauritius | 639 | 2040 | More than 1.2 million |
| 2. Mayotte | 560 | 374 | 256 thousand |
| 3. Rwanda | 431,5 | 26 338 | More than 11 million |
| 4. Comoros | 426,7 | 2238 | 900 thousand |
| 5. Reunion | 403,5 | 2512 | 850 thousand |
| 6 Burundi | 367 | 27 830 | More than 11 million |
| 7. Seychelles | 194 | 455 | 94 thousand |
| 8. Sao Tome and Principe | 187 | 1001 | 199 thousand |
| 9. Nigeria | 168 | 923 768 | More than 190 million |
| 10. Gambia | 159 | 10 380 | More than 2 million |
| 11. Uganda | 143,5 | 236 040 | More than 41 million |
| 12. Malawi | 134 | 118 484 | More than 18 million |
| 13. Cape Verde | 128 | 4033 | 540 thousand |
| 14. Togo | 119 | 56 785 | Nearly 8 million |
| 15. Ghana | 104 | 238 537 | 15.6 million |
| 16. Benin | 82,7 | 112 622 | More than 10 million |
| 17. Ethiopia | 82,3 | 1 104 300 | More than 102 million |
| 18. Egypt | 82 | 1 001 450 | Nearly 95 million |
| 19. Swaziland | 79 | 17 364 | More than 1.4 million |
| 20. Sierra Leone | 74,9 | 71 740 | More than 7 million |
Asia has always had the highest population density. The main reason is that in such countries a lot of land is given over to rice and other crops. More than half of the world's inhabitants live in Asia. The population density on the continent is 87 people/sq. km.
Brief information about the largest and smallest population density in the world:
In some countries, it can be more than 1000 people, while in others there are barely 3 people / sq. m. km.
Asian states with the highest population density:
| Country | Population density (person/sq. km) | Territory area (sq. km) | Number of inhabitants (persons) |
| 1. Singapore | 6705 | 722 | More than 5.8 million |
| 2. Hong Kong | 6415 | 1104 | Nearly 7.5 million |
| 3. Bahrain | 1711 | 765 | More than 1.4 million |
| 4. Maldives | 1316 | 298 | Approximately 427 thousand |
| 5. Bangladesh | 1101 | 147 570 | More than 171 million |
| 6. Palestine | 702 | 6,2 | More than 2.1 million |
| 7. Taiwan | 641,1 | 36 178 | More than 23 million |
| 8. South Korea | 489 | 100 210 | More than 54 million |
| 9. Lebanon | 398,4 | 10 452 | More than 6 million |
| 10 India | 361,7 | 3 287 263 | More than 1.3 billion |
| 11. Philippines | 339,4 | 299 764 | More than 100 million |
| 12. Israel | 338,5 | 20 770 | Approximately 8.6 million |
| 13. Japan | 334,6 | 377 944 | More than 126 million |
| 14. Sri Lanka | 324,4 | 65 610 | More than 22 million |
| 15. Vietnam | 273,3 | 331 210 | More than 94 million |
| 16. Pakistan | 235,3 | 803 940 | More than 207 million |
| 17. North Korea | 203 | 120 540 | More than 25 million |
| 18. Nepal | 199,6 | 140 800 | Nearly 29 million |
| 19. Kuwait | 145,6 | 17 818 | About 4.5 million |
| 20. China | 139,3 | 9 596 961 | About 1.4 billion |
Europe covers an area of 10 million square meters. km, which is home to about 692 million people. The population density in Europe is 73 people/sq. km. The number of inhabitants of the continent is increasing every year. People aspire to highly developed countries to find better conditions for life.
Military conflicts in African and Islamic countries are forcing many people to migrate to Europe, which contributes to an increase in population.
Countries with the highest population density that belong to Europe:
| Country | Population density (person/sq. km) | Territory area (sq. km) | Number of inhabitants (persons) |
| 1. Monaco | 18850 | 2,02 | Nearly 38 thousand |
| 2. Gibraltar | 2895,5 | 6,5 | 32 thousand |
| 3. Malta | 1276 | 316 | 475 thousand |
| 4. Guernsey | 834,1 | 65 | 62 thousand |
| 5. Jersey | 811,7 | 116 | 100 thousand |
| 6. San Marino | 530,3 | 61 | 33 thousand |
| 7. Netherlands | 405,6 | 41 543 | More than 17 million |
| 8. Belgium | 341,6 | 30 258 | More than 11 million |
| 9. UK | 257,4 | 242 495 | More than 66 million |
| 10. Germany | 228,2 | 357 021 | Nearly 83 million |
| 11. Liechtenstein | 220,1 | 160 | 38 thousand |
| 12. Italy | 202,5 | 301 340 | More than 60 million |
| 13. Luxembourg | 194,3 | 2586 | 602 thousand |
| 14. Switzerland | 185 | 41 285 | 8.4 million |
| 15. Andorra | 181,2 | 467 | 77 thousand |
| 16. Kosovo | 167,6 | 10 908 | Nearly 2 million |
| 17. Isle of Man | 148 | 572 | 86 thousand |
| 18. Czech Republic | 129,1 | 78 866 | More than 10 million |
| 19. Denmark | 128,3 | 43 094 | 5.7 million |
| 20. Moldova | 127,5 | 33 846 | More than 3.5 million |
America includes the territory of the North, Central and South and the nearby islands, which cover an area of 42.5 million square meters. km. Over 937 million people live in all of America. There are 35 states on 2 continents and islands.
Higher population densities are found in Central America and the Caribbean.
Countries with the highest population density that represent North and South America:
| Country | Population density (person/sq. km) | Territory area (sq. km) | Number of inhabitants (persons) |
| 1. Barbados | 666,8 | 439 | 284 thousand |
| 2. Aruba | 589,5 | 178 | 104 thousand |
| 3. Martinique | 453 | 1128 | 380 thousand |
| 4. Puerto Rico | 445,7 | 9104 | More than 3 million |
| 5. Haiti | 350,2 | 27 750 | More than 10 million |
| 6. Grenada | 319 | 344 | 107 thousand |
| 7. Virgin Islands | 313,3 | 153 | 25 thousand |
| 8. Salvador | 307 | 21 040 | 6.4 million |
| 9. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 266,3 | 389 | 109 thousand |
| 10 Jamaica | 261 | 10 991 | More than 2.7 million |
| 11. Saint Lucia | 260,5 | 616 | 178 thousand |
| 12. Antilles | 254,7 | 228 662 | 42 million |
| 13. Trinidad and Tobago | 239,3 | 5128 | 1.2 million |
| 14. Dominican Republic | 204,5 | 48 442 | More than 10 million |
| 15. Cayman Islands | 194,5 | 264 | 62 thousand |
| 16. Anguilla | 166 | 91 | 15 thousand |
| 17. Guatemala | 119 | 108 889 | More than 14 million |
| 18. Cuba | 100 | 110 860 | More than 11 million |
| 19. Costa Rica | 83 | 51 100 | 4.8 million |
| 20. Honduras | 63 | 112 090 | About 19 million |
| 21. Mexico | 62 | 1 972 550 | More than 120 million |
| 22. Ecuador | 53 | 283 560 | More than 16 million |
| 23. Panama | 44,5 | 78 200 | 3.7 million |
| 24. Nicaragua | 44 | 129 494 | Nearly 6 million |
| 25. Colombia | 39,1 | 1 141 748 | Nearly 50 million |
Oceania is made up of many islands that are located in the Pacific Ocean. More than 12 million people live throughout the territory. Average population density in Oceania is 8 people / sq. km. km. Together with Australia, they occupy an area of 8.52 million square meters. km.
The population on the islands is unevenly distributed, as many of them are uninhabitable. Most are of volcanic or coral origin.
Countries and island states belonging to Oceania:
| Country | Population density (person/sq. km) | Territory area (sq. km) | Number of inhabitants (persons) |
| 1. Nauru | 466 | 21 | 11 thousand |
| 2. Marshall Islands | 373,1 | 181 | 55 thousand |
| 3. Tuvalu | 351,5 | 26 | 11 thousand |
| 4. Tonga | 141,2 | 748 | 105 thousand |
| 5. Kiribati | 124,3 | 812 | 115 thousand |
| 6. Northern Mariana Islands | 100 | 463 | 52 thousand |
| 7. Wallis and Futuna Islands | 77 | 142 | 12 thousand |
| 8. French Polynesia | 73,7 | 4167 | 285 thousand |
| 9. Samoa | 68 | 2831 | 190 thousand |
| 10. Fiji | 48,3 | 18 274 | 912 thousand |
The population of the Earth is increasing every year. Many cities on our planet are overcrowded with residents. The migration of people is associated with the development of industry and business in such cities.
Mumbai 28,850 people/sq. km.
Mumbai covers an area of 603 sq. km. and has the most large population in India (more than 12.4 million people). This number of inhabitants is connected with the fact that Mumbai has a large port and is an important economic and cultural center of the country. The city needs a lot of labor, which attracts migrants.
Kolkata 27,460 people/sq. km.
Another Indian city with an area of 205 sq. km., which attracts many people with jobs, developed industry and economy. Located in Calcutta stock Exchange. Not only Indian companies, but also many foreign companies have opened their office here.
The number of inhabitants in Calcutta is almost 4.5 million people.
Dhaka 23,000 people/sq. km.
Dhaka is the main city of Bangladesh and occupies 815 sq. km. km. The number of inhabitants is almost 7 million people. The city has many industrial enterprises.
Karachi 18900 people/sq. km.
Karachi is located in Pakistan and occupies 3530 sq. km. More than 23.5 million people live in the city. There are 2 large seaports in Karachi. This city is the economic and financial center of Pakistan. Major share country's GDP gives exactly Karachi.
Shanghai 18620 people/sq. km.
Shanghai is the first city in China in terms of population (more than 24 million people). The area of the city is 6340 sq. km. Shanghai has a large cargo port. The city is industrialized. Exists a large number of enterprises.
Lagos 18100 people/sq. km.
The port city of Lagos is located in Nigeria, where more than 13 million people live. The area of the city covers almost 1000 square meters. km. Almost 50% of Nigeria's industrial enterprises are located in Lagos. The film industry is developed in the city.
Shenzhen 17100 people/sq. km.
Shenzhen belongs to China and has about 11.4 million inhabitants. The administrative center is located on the territory of 1991 square meters. km. Shenzhen is a free economic zone. It attracts many foreign companies with the price of land and inexpensive labor.
Seoul 16700 people/sq. km.
Seoul is the main city of Korea with a population of over 10 million. The city covers an area of 605 sq. km. There are many industrial enterprises in Seoul.
Taipei 15150 people/sq. km.
Taipei is located in China and occupies almost 272 sq. km. km. The number of inhabitants in the city is 2.7 million people. Taipei is industrial center China, where a large number of enterprises are located.
Chennai 14300 people/sq. km.
The Indian city is inhabited by more than 4.5 million. Chennai covers an area of 181 square meters. km. The city is the automotive center of India and has a large cargo port. Also widely represented in Chennai banking, has its own stock exchange.
The states with the lowest population density usually have large areas, but due to topography and other factors, residents choose only suitable territories.
Mongolia 2 people/sq. km.
Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in East Asia. State with an area of more than 1.5 million square meters. km. and a population of more than 3 million people, consists mostly of desert and mountains.
Namibia 2.6 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Namibia is located in South Africa. The country has access to the Atlantic Ocean. More than half of the territory belongs to deserts and mountains.
Australia 2.8 people/sq. km.
Australia is located on the mainland and has a large area. It also includes islands. Many of them are uninhabited. Residents prefer to live in the coastal zones of the state, since more than half of the territory belongs to deserts.
Suriname 3 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Suriname is located in South America near Guyana. Most of the country's territory is not suitable for agriculture, so the population tends to settle closer to the Atlantic Ocean.
Iceland 3.1 people/sq. km.
Iceland belongs to Northern Europe and is located on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean. About 350 thousand people live in the state. There are mountains and active volcanoes on the island.
Mauritania 3.1 people/sq. km.
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is located in West Africa. On an area of more than 1 million square meters. km. about 3.3 million people live. Due to the fact that more than half of the country's territory is desert, people settle closer to the water. The state has access to the Atlantic Ocean.
Libya 3.3 people/sq. km.
The largest area of Libya is located in North Africa. More than 90% of the territory of the state belongs to deserts, so the population occupies the remaining suitable lands.
Botswana 3.4 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Botswana is located in South Africa. In terms of area, the country occupies more than 500 thousand square meters. km, but almost 2/3 of the territory is desert and swamps. More than 2 million people live in the republic.
Canada 3.5 people/sq. km.
Canada is located in North America. More than 34 million people live in the country, but to a greater extent they are settled closer to the border with the United States. More than half of the territory has severe weather conditions and mountainous terrain, so uneven settlement over a large area.
Guyana 3.5 people/sq. km.
The Republic of Guyana is located in the northeast of South America. It has access to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Almost the entire population of the country lives in coastal areas. Despite the fact that Guyana is located in South America, its official language is English.
About 730 thousand people live in the country.
Every year the number of people on Earth is increasing. This leads to the fact that previously uninhabited territories are gradually occupied by people for life. Many species of animals and plants are disappearing. People tend to move to highly developed countries in order to arrange their lives and find a decent job.
This leads to overpopulation of cities and states and the struggle for resources.
The population living in countries with the highest density is not equally settled. Most of them live in cities, and in rural areas the number of people per 1 sq. km. territory is low.
Article formatting: E. Chaikina
A plot about population density in Japan:
More than 500 million people, or about 9%, live in the region.
- one of the most densely populated areas of the world with an average population density of over 100 people per 1 sq. km. At the same time, the distribution of the population is primarily determined by the geography of cities. The level of urbanization here is one of the highest in the world - 74%, and in some countries up to 80 or even 90%.
In foreign Europe, it has its own distinctive features:
The population of Foreign Europe is characterized by relative national homogeneity, since the vast majority of the peoples of the region belong to the Indo-European language family.
However, the ethnic map of the region is very complex. Along with single-ethnic states, there are many states with a complex one, in which an aggravation of interethnic relations has recently been observed.
Europe is quite complicated. The dominant religion is Christianity. In general, we can say that Protestantism prevails in the north, Catholicism in the south, and their different ratio in the center. In addition, Orthodoxy prevails in some countries.
Foreign Europe is characterized by a very difficult situation with depopulation and "aging of nations". Natural population growth is very low (about 1.5%) and in some countries (, etc.) there is even a natural population decline. There is a significant stratum of older people. All this led to a change in the role of the region in the external system: from the main center of emigration, foreign Europe turned into the main world center of labor immigration (12-13 million foreign workers). A significant part of foreign workers is not in the position of citizens, but temporary guests-workers (“guest workers”).
The main directions of labor immigration:
European population
More than 700 million people lived on the territory of Foreign Europe in 2016. The population of the region, especially in the last 10 years, has been increasing due to the influx of migrants from developing countries.
Remark 1
Migrants are distributed unevenly across European countries, in those countries where their flow is more intense, the population increases. In countries with little immigration, the population is gradually declining due to low natural increase.
Albania is an exception in this regard, where the natural increase is rather high. Historically, the population in the region was concentrated where better conditions for living, where you can practice agriculture, and this, of course, the southern regions of Europe.
In the Middle Ages, socio-economic factors began to come to the fore, and the northwestern parts of the region became densely populated.
Figure 1. Population density in Europe. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
The maximum population density today has small countries, for example, the Netherlands, where per 1 sq. km accounts for 390 people, in Belgium - 320 people per sq. km. km.
In the north-west of Germany, north-east of France, south-east of the UK, the density reaches 1,000 people per square meter. km. These territories are part of the Rhine, English megalopolises and the Paris agglomeration. The concentration of the urban population in these areas is associated with the development of post-industrial sectors of the economy.
Within the European region, there are microstates whose population density is very high, for example, Malta, San Marino, Monaco. Tourism is the leading sector of the economy of these countries.
One of the smallest European states is the Principality of Monaco, located on an area of 2.02 sq. km. In this small area in 2016, 32,087 people lived, hence the density in the country is about 17 thousand people per square meter. km.
Towards the northeast of Europe, the population density is noticeably declining. In Iceland, which occupies the northernmost position among European states, the hinterland is almost uninhabited, and average density The population is about 10 people per sq. km.
For the countries of Northern Europe, there are also internal contrasts in the distribution of the population. In the south of Finland, for example, the population density is more than 50 people per sq. km, while in the north of the country the density is less than 1 person per sq. km. km.
There are differences in population density in those countries where there are mountains, these areas tend to have very low population density.
Of the European countries, Germany is the largest state in terms of population, 82.8 million people live on its territory, and the average density is 230 people per square meter. km. The densely populated Rhine megalopolis stands out here. The density index nowhere here falls below 50 people per square meter. km.
The second place in terms of population belongs to the UK, where 66.0 million people lived in 2017. Almost throughout the country, with the exception of the northern highlands of Scotland, the density remains at around 100 people per square meter. km. The maximum density in the south-east of the country is about 1000 people per sq. km. km.
The population of France is 65.2 million people, and the population density will be higher in the outlying areas of the country - more than 100 people per square meter. km. The central part of France is less populated, and the density will be lower - less than 50 people per square meter. km.
Another large European state in terms of population is Italy, where 60.4 million people live. The maximum population density here is observed in the Po Valley - it reaches 1000 people per sq. km. km. The mountainous regions in the center and in the north of the country are poorly populated, respectively, and the population density in some places is less than 10 people per square kilometer. km.
There are about 40 millionaire cities on the territory of Foreign Europe.
These are, first of all, the capitals of European states:
Other capitals are Budapest, Bucharest. Vienna, Warsaw, Belgrade have a smaller population - from 1.5 to 2.1 million people.
950 thousand people live in Athens, but together with the suburbs and the port of Piraeus, the population of this conglomerate is increasing sharply and amounts to more than 3 million people.
Cities such as Warsaw, Budapest, Paris are densely populated and have a high population density. Berlin and Madrid are large both in terms of the number of inhabitants and the territory they occupy.
branched urban network characteristic of Central Europe, and the urban agglomerations of Northern and Southern Europe have a well-defined seaside character.
The lowest rates of urbanization are observed in the east of Foreign Europe.
Despite the fact that 75% of the population lives in cities, foreign Europe has lost its leadership in the processes of urbanization. The total urbanization process per year is 0.5%.
Today, according to scientists, there is new type agglomerations, called interstate megalopolises.
In Western Europe, this type covered 5 countries - England, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, on the territory of 230 thousand square meters. km. 85 million people live within this zone.
Also characteristic is the replacement of urbanization processes by other processes that will become the basis for new types of agglomerations.
Among them are the following types:
suburbanization associated with the process of moving citizens to suburban areas;
an increase in the number of small towns far from industrial centers;
the process of deurbanization is opposite to urbanization; the process of ruralization associated with the outflow of the population to the countryside.
For countries Western Europe and in general, the region is characterized by a common problem associated with the “aging of the population”.
Figure 2. Demographic Issues Foreign Europe. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
On the one hand, life expectancy is increasing, and on the other hand, natural growth is decreasing, which is kept at the level of 1.5%.
According to the forecasts of specialists in the field of demography, by 2050 the population of Europe will decrease by 30 million people, and the number of pensioners over 80 will increase.
A 19% decline in population is expected in Romania and Germany, a 27% decrease in the population of Bulgaria, in Latvia, according to forecasts, the population will decrease by 26%, and in Lithuania by 20%.
Of particular difficulty is the demographic situation in Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, the level of fertility and birth rate in these countries is the lowest.
Mortality rate in European countries significantly lower than in the former Soviet republics, but higher than the world average and amounts to 10 people per 1,000 population.
Expanded reproduction is noted in several European countries - Albania, France, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Macedonia. In other countries, reproduction is narrowed, or "zero", which does not provide replacement of generations.
In addition, 11 states have a negative natural increase - Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Germany, Estonia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia. Experts believe that these countries have already entered the stage of depopulation.
Remark 2
In countries of Eastern Europe the deterioration of the demographic situation is associated with low birth rates, high mortality, negative natural increase. But not only purely demographic factors influence the current demographic situation, but also socio-economic difficulties, changes in social systems, political instability in many of them.
